My dear friends John and Kristi Stofer have joined the ever growing blog family (blamily? famiblog?). Check ‘em out!

Isaiah 43:1
But now, this is what the LORD says—
He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”

1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Lamentations 3:57
You came near when I called You, and You said, “Do not fear.”

Ephesians 6:10-19
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.”

Amen. I am grateful today, beyond measure, for the TRUTH of the Word of God.

As I got home from school today, the sky turned a dark blue, almost hazy purple, and sharp lines of white light zigged and zagged through the sky. I unhooked my hanging baskets and set them in the yard for what I hoped would become a free watering session. (Did anyone mention to God that I’m an even address in Cobb County so He’s really only allowed to water tomorrow? Guess not.) And sure enough, by the time I got in my house and looked out the back door, rain drops began to be visible on my cement slab. I smiled. It’s been too long, I thought, since we’ve had a good rain. I think I’ve needed it as much as my flowers, shrubs, and cute hanging baskets.

The rain, the thunder, the wind, the lightning- they combined in such a way that it was a textbook summer afternoon rainstorm. Awesome. And I started thinking about my plants and how they were getting watered and the phrase “Constant Gardener” came to mind.

The wheels started turning and I thought, over the sound of the rain pouring in sheets, how God had never really forgotten my plants. He is constantly taking care of them- cooling the sun each night, warming it each day, shading with clouds or trees. He seasons the Earth in such a way to allow for growth and death of beauty in flowers and trees.

John 15:1
“….and my Father is the Gardener.”

And it amazes me how life reflects nature (or maybe nature reflects life?). Because God is MY Constant Gardener too. He’s either turning the soil to begin something new, planting the seeds of a new lesson, carefully watching as something grows, watering when dry, pruning when needed (though unwanted usually), or collecting the flowers that have grown into a beautiful bouquet to bring praise to Gardener (coming soon!). I may not see Him working in the garden, or even feel it, but often, like this kind gentleman in the painting, He hovers over each flower, inspecting it closely, and diagnosing in His mind the very BEST thing to do next. A good gardener could tell you that- not one bloom goes unnoticed. But neither does one weed. It is all under the watchful eye of a LOVING and COMMITTED Gardener. See, the garden isn’t the one responsible- the GARDENER is- it is His duty and His deal to make things grow. He desires it. He wants it to happen. He’s committed to growth.

And this is not just for me- YOU are his favorite garden spot. I had a conversation this morning over mini-bagels that I know is God turning the soil in someone else’s heart. I listen as friends experience pruning, deep cuts that are painful but necessary. I’m experiencing in my life the planting of new seeds and the dear care of young flowers blooming, slowly but surely.

Today, I needed a cool rain for my parched heart. No matter where you are- planting, pruning, growing- you needed this rain today too. Things bloom brighter and fully (and quicker!!) when they have had a fresh rain. I’m depending on that.

Ask Him to rain on you. Rain His LOVE, His forgiveness, His salvation, His goodness, His friendship, His heart.

The rain has stopped outside. In fact, I hear some birds discussing the situation right now. And somehow, out my window, everything looks a more vibrant shade of green than it did 30 minutes ago. Funny how a rain purifies and brings out the best for all to see.

Oh, how I love my God. My Constant Gardener.

I’ve had two constant girlfriends in my life since I was very young. (And I’m not referring to my sisters, though I have known them most of my life, as well.)

But I’m speaking of my two friends Danielle and Jennifer. We grew up together, not by our choosing, but by our parents- we all went to the same church. But we chose to stay together, even after the church split and college sent us 3+ different ways. (Don’t ask me to explain that, okay?)

We were virtually inseparable through middle and high school. We made group decisions consistently- if one of us didn’t go on a youth group trip, none of us did. It’s just the way we rolled. We also chose, all together, to go to stupid places, like a teen dance club in Helen, Ga. (I didn’t say we always made GOOD decisions, I just said we made GROUP decisions.)

We loved the lakehouse- to the point that 2/3 of us missed a day of school after a weekend at the lake. (Did you know it was possible to get motion sickness from the amount of time spent on a floating dock? Neither did we.)

We ate crazy stuff and sang 3 part harmony and made up words and names and watched millions of movies and laughed until we….. well, we laughed a lot. Seriously, you wouldn’t believe how strange we were. We are. We will be.

Danielle got married in September 2001. Jennifer got married in April 2003. Two of the most beautiful brides I’ve ever known.

Danielle had a baby in November 2002 (Ashlin). Jennifer had a baby in May 2005 (Mason). Danielle had a baby in December 2006 (Mady). Jennifer had a baby in February 2007 (Hannah). Four of the cutest babies I’ve ever known.

With each wedding, and each baby, I felt like a part of me grew. Does that make any sense? A shared dream has become a reality six times over with these girls.

Danielle, Ashlin, Mady, Jennifer, Hannah, and I (and our friend Rebecca) went to dinner tonight. As ashamed as I am to say it, it was the first time I’ve seen Hannah. We ate Mexican and laughed hysterically and what was going on in each of our lives. We talked homes, husbands (present and future), baby gizmos, church, jobs, all of it. And did I mention we laughed? Because we did. To the point where Jennifer has to gasp for air- possibly one of my favorite sounds ever because it means we’re all having a good time if she’s that out of control. It makes me smile just to hear it in my mind.

When we had finished eating, it was time to pass the babies. I had Mady first and she’s just hilarious. After a few minutes, I was dying to hold my newest “neice” Hannah, so I passed Mady back over the chip crumbs and quesadilla shrapnel.

As I received Hannah from Jennifer, this sweet little four month old girl, I sat her bottom on the table and had a quick conversation with her (mainly apologizing for my tardy introduction). As we “talked”, Ashlin walked her 4 year old self around the table and pulled up on my arm to sit in my lap to see Hannah. She wrapped one arm around me and another around Hannah.

And the moment was so sweet. There we were. I was holding two of our dreams in my hands. Two of the most important contributions my friends will ever make to this Earth were wrapped in my arms. I could look over my left arm, around Hannah, and see Jenn. I could look between Hannah and Ashlin, in my right arm, and see Danielle. And I remembered how much I love them. All of them. I had to pause and take it in. Recognize the moment for what it was- right, real, deep, old, new, all of it.

It was amazing. It was full circle. It was soul-filling. And it reminds me again why God called me back to Marietta, why some friends are meant to be forever, and why true friendship doesn’t stop with loving one generation.

to see this in real life. Maybe one day we’ll go there, okay? I’ll drive if you’ll navigate. I have a terrible sense of direction.

THIS is why I adore Jarrett Watkins.

And this is when Jarrett is looking at me saying, “Annie, why are you photographing me right now? I have just finished eating. I am what some would consider mildly milk-drunk. Please. Stop.”